Synthesis of Antitumor Natural Products

描述(申请人提供)：这项研究的主要目标是通过对具有抗肿瘤活性的天然产物的合成研究，对有机化学和医学做出重大贡献，包括延胡索乙素、海绵抑素和霉内酯。我们认为，有机化学的力量，特别是有机合成，是通过挑战复杂的系统来最有效地扩展的，而医学的许多进步肯定取决于化学力量的扩展。更具体地说，研究将首先努力开发某些天然产物的通用、灵活和有效的合成，然后将这些合成应用于其类似物和衍生物的合成。这些研究将为开发更好的抗癌药物提供线索，和/或将有助于以可接受的成本向患者提供新的抗癌药物。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The major objective of this research is to make significant contributions to organic chemistry and medicine through synthetic studies of the natural products with antitumor activity, including the halichondrins, the spongistatins, and the mycolactones. We believe that the power of organic chemistry, especially organic synthesis, is most effectively extended by challenging complex systems, and much of the progress of medicine certainly depends upon the extension of the power of chemistry. More specifically, research efforts will be made first to develop general, flexible, and efficient syntheses of certain natural products and then to apply these to the synthesis of their analogs and derivatives. These studies will provide clues for developing better antitumor drugs and/or will help to deliver a new anticancer drug to patients at an acceptable cost.